Friday, 30 May 2008

The true tory progressives...?

Written by one of my recent lecturers - a man of all trades - Philip Blond. Here he drops the theology for something more down to earth with an analysis within the guardian of the direction that the Torys are going within British Politics.

The claim by David Cameron to tackle disadvantage through the revival of civil society looks to many on the left like ideological cover for a revived neoliberal agenda. But is it? The lesson of the last 30 years is that neither the state nor the market is able to alleviate poverty or deliver opportunity for all.

Though the arguments about the failure of the market economy needs expanding Philip makes some interesting points. Not only is the tory party on the verge, it seems, of making some interesting political movements in terms of policy but it also seems to be making the right ones; reducing the state, decentralization and the rethinking of welfare. The only problem may be that Labour is making things too easy...

The danger is that with New Labour imploding after the local elections and Crewe, the Tories avoid visionary thinking and coast to victory. But this is perilous: the electorate is fickle.

The problem with Philip is the ultimate direction he drives his conclusions. Though the thinking above in general seems correct he makes two very radical points, 1) a rejection of the free market, and 2) the rejection of liberalism. Points which seem both worrying and difficult to comment on now. They just seem too radical.